INTROD UCTOR Y. 33 



administration. It began to show some signs of that spirit 

 which was to develope the events of the Parliamentary War. 

 Where Elizabeth could be firm she was firm, where she could 

 not be she yielded. 



During the greater part of the reign of James, the policy of 

 the Court was to favour Calvinistic doctrine, under strictly 

 Episcopal forms. But towards the conclusion of his reign, the 

 king displayed a liking for the new school of Laud. This 

 school was hostile to Romanism, but favourable to doctrines 

 which were believed to be in many particulars identical with 

 those of the Roman Church. The new movement was sup- 

 ported by Charles, but was detested by the laity and a 

 considerable section of the clergy. It was part of Laud's 

 policy to enforce a more ornate ritual, especially in the 

 Universities, in one of which he was Chancellor, over both of 

 which he claimed general visitatorial powers. But I have only 

 found two colleges which submitted to his instructions, Corpus in 

 Oxford, and St. John's in Cambridge. In these two, and in 

 these two only, for a few years an ornate ritual was adopted- 

 copes, wax candles, and other furnitures. Just before the 

 outbreak which for a time destroyed the old hierarchy, Laud was 

 assured that Puritanism was extinct ; and he perhaps believed 

 the assurance. 



The Long Parliament was distinctly Puritan, and ultimately, 

 though it is not quite certain that it was so sincerely, Presby- 

 terian. It was strong enough to put down the episcopate, but 

 not strong enough to establish another system of Church 

 government in its room. Now there arose a Babel of sects, each 

 striving for ascendency, and none strong enough to achieve 

 ndency. Selden, who assisted and mocked the partisans of 

 tephen's, and the zealots of Westminster Hall, a few yards 

 off, said that Parliament tired him with their new law, and that 

 the divines refreshed him with their mad gospel. But if the 

 caustic and critical jurist described the assembly in Westminster 

 in this manner, what would he or any one of sense have 

 of the new hich were coming to the front, and 



L. V. D 



